Splicing-feed device for knitting-machines.



G. S. MARVILLE.

SPLIOING FEED DEVICE FOR KNITTING MACHINES.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 2a, 1908.

947,925m Patented Feb. 11, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

WITNESSES: .6.

G. S. MARVILLE. SPLIGING FEED nnvmn r011 KNITTING MACHINES. APPLICATIONFILED JUNE 29, 1908. 947 9Q5 Patented Feb l, 1910.

2 SHBETSSHEET 2.

51M VQTNESSES: INVENTOR BYMWMZZW ATTORN EYS 1 is ATES ET nnr GEORGE S.MARVILLE, OF RIEGELSVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOJB, T AUGUSTA KNITTINGCOMPANY, OF UTIGA, NEW YORK.

SPLICINGr-FEED DEVICE FOR KNITTING-MACHINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 1, 1210..

To all whom it may concern :v

Be it known that ll, GEORGE S. MARVILLE, of ltiegelsville, in the countyof Bucks and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Splicing- Feed Devices for Knitting-Machines"; and I dohereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription thereof, which will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference markedthereon, which form part of this specification.

The object of my invention is to provide an improved, simple andefficient means for periodically feeding one-or more extra or alternateyarns or threads to a knitting ma- 'chine and discontinuing the feedthereof.

Figure 1 shows a side elevation of a portion of a well known form ofcircular latch needle knitting machine equipped with my improvements.Fig.2 shows a top or plan view of the same. Fig. 3 is an enlargedsectional detail showing more particularly mechanism of my improvements.Fig. 4 is an enlarged diagram showing the mode of operation.

Referring to the drawings, indicates the cylinder supporting thevertical latch needles 11, and 12 is the dial supporting the horizontallatch needles 13. In the form of machine shown, thecylinder l0 and dial12 are held againstrotation, the cylinder being supported on a base orframe r1ng14. Surrounding the cylinder 10 and mounted on the base ring14 are rotatable post rings 15 and cam rings 16 secured together forrotation. The cylinder needle cams17 are sc cured on the inside of thering 16, while the dial needles are operated by cams on the underside ofrotatable plate 18 in the usual manner. The cam plate 18 carries anumber of yarn guides 19 located around the peripher eed These yarnguides 19 are provided with an opening or eye, arranged in closeproximity to the upper ends of the cylinder needles when in their upperpositions at each feed, the position of the eye with reference to thecylinder needles at each feed being indicated in dotted lines at a inFig. 4.

In the construction as shown the guide eye is adapted to provide apassage for .what may be termed a regularthread or yarn b of the dialand being one for each' and an extra (or alternate) thread or yarn 0.The latter yarn passes through a gripping device in the nature of a pairof pinchers, consisting of a base member 20 support ed on the revolublering 16 and a lever member 21 pivoted thereto at 22. The lower grippingface 20*0f this gripping device is preferably arranged somewhat abovethe plane of the yarn eye a, as shown particularly in Fig. 3. Forclosing the grip or operating the movable lever member 21" thereof toclosed position, there is provided a spring 23. For opening the grip orrather the several grips arranged around the circle of the machine,there is provided a shiftable ring 24 mounted in hearings or keepers 25supported on the posts 26 and having notches or recesses as 24 with aninclined end serving as a cam to ride down the outwardly projecting endof the grip member 21. For shifting the position of the ring 24, it isprovided with a lever 28 pivoted at 29 to the cam plate 18, and adjacentto its projecting swinging end coupled to the ring 24 at 30. Theprojecting end of the lever 30 is adapted to strike and be operated bythe tripper 31, consisting of a rotary disk mounted on a verticallymovable spindle in'the usual manner on this class of machines, and themovements of which tripper are controlled by a chain with projections inthe usual manner.

In addition to the'lever 28 there is also provided a lever 32 pivoted tothe cam disk 18 at 33, and coupled to the rear extension of the lever 28and projecting in a plane close to the plane of the lever 28. Thetripper 31 is adapted to be shifted in three positions, as shown inFig. 1. In one position it will strike the lever 28 and shift the ring24 in one direction, in another position it will strike the lever 32 andshift the ring lid 24 in the opposite diection, and still in the 1 thirdposition it will fail to strike either the levers 28 or 32.

It is obvious that when the ring 24 is shifted to allow the grip member21 to enter the notch 24*, that the grip will be closed by the spring 23and the thread or yarn a tightly gripped. When this is done with themachine in operation, the yarn 0 will be broken adjacent to a pointwhere the needles begin to operate on the yarn and the end 0 will beleft and held trailing in the needles. When the gripping device isopened, the yarn a will begin to feed promptly and certainly on accountof the friction of the trailing end in the needles and the friction withthe regular yarn b in case one is runnin in at the same guide or feed.By providing the gripping device in close proximity to the needles, thewithdrawal of the broken or trailing end from its trailing position inthe needles, on account of relaxing the strain on the yarn at the timeit is broken, is obviated.

In the operation of the invention the yarn will be broken, as the camcylinder revolves, at the point at which the yarn engages the needles,owing to the fact that at such point there will be a doubled portion orbight in the yarn at the last needle engaging the same when the breakingstrain arrives; so that the yarns will be broken at the needles in sucha manner as to leave, in each case of a broken yarn, a trailing endwhich will facilitate the taking up of the yarn by the needles when theyarn grip is released.

With the device herein shown and described, a number of threads atvarious feeds around the periphery of the machine may be simultaneouslydiscontinued or simultaneously introduced into the regular knittingwithout trouble from defects in the fabric at the points where thethreads are either discontinued or again started. Additional feeds notprovided with means for introducing and discontinuing an extra oralternate thread over and above those shown in the drawings, may beprovided around the periphery of the dial if required.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting needles anda yarn guide to deliver the yarn thereto, of a gripping device throughwhich the yarn passes and which is arranged closely adjacent to theknitting needles, said yarn gripping device comprising an outwardlyextending gripping lever, a shiftable ring engaging said lever andprovided with a cam surface, a rotatable plate, two levers pivotallymounted on said plate and having outwardly extending operating arms,means whereby said levers are connected with said ring, and a relativelystationary operating device with which one or the other of said leversmay be engaged as the said plate rotates, for the purpose of shiftingsaid ring in one direction or the other to cause the yarn to be grippedor released.

2. In a knitting machine, the combination with the knitting needles anda plurality of yarn guides for delivering the yarn thereto, of aplurality of yarn gripping devices arranged closely ad acent to saidneedles and having outwardly extending operating arms, a shiftable ringhaving a plurality of cams for engaging said arms, a rotatable plate,two levers pivotally mounted on said plate and having outwardlyextending operating arms, means whereby said levers are connected withsaid ring, and a relatively stationary contact device with which one orthe other of said levers may be engaged as the said plate rotates, forthe purpose of shifting said ring in one direction or the other, tocause the yarns to be gripped or released.

In witness whereof, I have aflixed my signature, in presence of twowitnesses, this 25th day of June 1908.

GEORGE S. MARVILLE. Witnesses:

SARAH E. CLARK, EMMA S. Hnssn.

